The invention relates to a texturing machine for producing a crimped yarn.
To improve a melt spun yarn, it is known to crimp and draw the flat yarn in a texturing process. To this end, texturing machines are used, which comprise a plurality of processing units as well as a takeup device. The processing units, such as, for example, feed systems, heaters, cooling devices, texturing units, entanglement devices, and yarn lubricators are combined in a machine frame to result in a yarn path, which often extends over two stories of a machine.
In the case of such texturing machines, special auxiliary devices are integrated in the texturing machine, so as to make it possible to thread the yarn into the processing units at the beginning of the process. For example, FR 2 695 631 A1 discloses a texturing machine, wherein the yarn is guided by a threading device between a heater and a takeup device. To this end, the threading device includes a plurality of guide tubes, which connect to injectors and guide the yarn pneumatically from the outlet of the heater to the takeup device.
However, the texturing machine as disclosed in FR 2 695 631 A1 has the disadvantage that an operator must transfer the advancing yarn from a manually guided suction gun to a suction inlet of a guide tube. In this connection, it is necessary to position the yarn very accurately on the one hand and to cut it at the same time. Missed attempts in the yarn transfer from the suction gun to the guide tube are therefore unavoidable.
It is therefore an object of the invention to further develop a texturing machine of the initially described type such that before the start of the process an operator is able to transfer the yarn in a very safe and simple manner to a threading device for advancing the yarn pneumatically.
In accordance with the invention, the above and other objects and advantages are achieved by the provision of a texturing machine which includes in the region of the suction inlet of a guide tube a cutting device, which cuts the yarn while it is being threaded into the suction inlet. The special advantage of the invention thus lies in the fact that the operator needs to position only the yarn for enabling a transfer to the threading device. The combination between the cutting device and the suction inlet of the guide tube accomplishes that both the catching of the yarn and the cutting thereof occur automatically, after a manually guided suction gun reaches the threading position.
For cutting the yarn, the cutting device may comprise movable or stationary cutting means. Preferably, a stationary cutting blade is used.
A particularly advantageous further development of the invention distinguishes itself in that a positioning of the manually guided suction gun is no longer necessary. To transfer the yarn into the suction inlet, the cutting blade of the cutting device is associated with a movable yarn guide. Both the yarn guide and the cutting blade cooperate to thread the yarn into the suction inlet. In this instance, the threading position is assumed by the yarn guide, which thus ensures that the yarn is both cut and taken into the suction inlet.
In this connection, it would be possible to form the yarn guide at a free end of an elongate wire strap, so that by pivoting the wire strap the yarn guide reaches the threading position in the range of suction of the suction inlet and cutting device.
With the use of a heater with a closed heating channel, it is possible to expand the threading device advantageously by associating the guide tube with the heater, so that the yarn inlet end of the heater forms the suction inlet for threading the yarn, thereby ensuring simultaneously that the yarn is threaded into the heating channel of the heater.
Since in the production of the crimped yarn, every contact of the yarn for its guidance causes tensions and an engagement of the yarn, an advantageous further development of the invention provides that the suction inlet of the guide tube or suction inlet of the heater are in alignment with the path of the yarn leaving an upstream feed system. This permits inserting the yarn into the suction inlet directly from the feed system without a further guidance and deflection of the yarn.
In a particularly preferred further development of the invention, the feed system is formed by a godet unit, which is looped by the yarn several times, and arranged on a pivotal support that mounts at the same time the yarn guide for threading the yarn. With that, it is possible to thread on the one hand the yarn into the feed system in a simple manner, and to transfer it on the other hand simultaneously to the threading device or suction inlet of the guide tube by pivoting the support.
To realize as much as possible a compact construction of the texturing machine, an advantageous further development provides to arrange the guide tube or the heater on the underside of a frame section. This frame section is formed by a processing module mounting at least one portion of the processing units, and by a takeup module mounting the takeup device. The suction inlet of the guide tube could be arranged in the region of the processing module. The yarn would then pneumatically advance through the guide tube to the adjacent takeup module.
To guide the yarn as far as the takeup device, at least one second guide tube may be provided with a second injector, the second guide tube being positioned downstream of the first guide tube and immediately upstream of the takeup device.
The takeup device preferably includes a suction device, which has an intake opening facing a blow outlet of the second guide tube, preferably in one plane. This permits guiding the yarn automatically into the takeup device. Once the yarn is held in the suction device, for example, a yarn guide could engage the yarn and start a catching or a winding procedure.
An advantageous further development is suitable for transferring the yarn in the region of a feed system from a first guide tube to a second guide tube in a highly reliable manner. In this development, the blow outlet of the first guide tube and the suction inlet of the second guide tube face each other in one plane upstream or downstream of a feed system.
Once the yarn is transferred, it would be possible to realize an automatic threading of the yarn in the feed system, for example, by a threading device.
The method of the present invention is characterized in that it is possible to feed the yarn to a guide tube with a threading device, independently of an operator, in a very safe and reproducible manner.